Picture Perfect: Photo Tips from a Pro
Photograph by Danielle at Digitails by Dea
Have you ever seen a professional photograph of a dog and thought, “I wish my dog could pose like that” or “my dog doesn’t know how to sit or stay” or “my dog never stops moving, I could never get a photo like that”? Well, what if I told you your dog doesn’t have to know any cues or be a couch potato to achieve beautifully composed images?! It’s true! Every photography session has an individualized approach. If your dog is super energetic, I would spend my time focusing on capturing the serendipitous moments and being patient waiting for those picturesque moments. If your dog is shy or reactive, taking time before the shoot to get your dog comfortable and respecting their boundaries would be a major goal of mine. The best thing that I, or you, can do to capture beautiful moments of your dog is to let the dogs be themselves! If the dogs are comfortable, the humans are comfortable and then that is where the fun happens! No force or coercion, but having choice, having fun & rewarding your dog during the entire process!
If your dog is the type of dog that loves working and learning new tricks, then here are the top three cues you can work on with your dog and that I believe are the most helpful when photographing dogs:
Stay with distance and distractions
Sit and/or lie down
Having focus on the handler. Although this isn’t a cue, it’s always a great experience when the dog wants to work with their human and has some attention span.
Here are a few fun tricks that you could work on with your pup that would add an extra element to any photo:
Up-up (being comfortable standing or sitting on different objects like logs, rocks or chairs)
Holding an object in their mouth
Wave
Head resting on the ground
To provide an example that your dog doesn’t have to know any cues or be the most well behaved or lazy, the dog captured in the photo above was playing fetch with his owner. Dogs naturally lie down and do so especially after exercise so I knew if I waited, I would have my moment to capture him being still. He had only remained lying down for a few seconds, so I had a very short time frame to respond, but I did. Photographing can consist of posed photos, but the ones that happen naturally are equally as exciting! That is one reason I love photography so much, it forces me to adapt and be in the moment and observe what’s happening in the now.
Danielle shares her tips as a guest author and owner and operater of Digitails by Dea, a pet sitting and photography business. Interested in scheduling a professional photo shoot? Visit Danielle’s website for more info and to see her portfolio.
